FOOTBALL: Haddam-Killingworth outmuscles Lewis Mills, 42-7

BRISTOL >> As Lewis Mills scored their first points of the game in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, the home crowd cheered with excitement to see their team still fighting until the final whistle blew. In the end. the running combination of Haddam-Killingworth backs Nathan Cruz and Zach Roth proved to be too much for Lewis Mills Saturday afternoon.

Cruz and Roth combined for 213 yards and four touchdowns in the 42-7 victory against the Spartans.

Lewis Mills head coach Greg Todd knew both of the backs were going to be catalysts for the Haddam-Killingworth offense.

"I think everyone in the league knows that," Todd said. "We tried to devise some schemes to stop them for the most part, when he (Cruz) bears down he's going to get it. He's that kind of individual. We has some stuff going in, Once he gets his momentum he's touch to go down."

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On the other side of the ball, quarterback Collin Thorn, who is filling in for the Spartans No. 1 quarterback Justin Pease, threw for 120 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Thorn was able to find wide receiver Grant McGregor throughout the game. McGregor had five receptions for 62 yards.

Early on, Thorn and his center had trouble with their exchanges, Thorn said they were not in a good tempo.

"We didn't have a great rhythm in the beginning, Thorn said. "Towards the end we got in sync."

Along with the two interceptions, the Spartans had one fumble lost and numerous dropped passes.

Todd said turnovers can really make or break a game.

"Unfortunately we had some untimely turnovers," Todd said. "They kept the ball out of our hands and more in their hands and that kind of reflected the score."

In the second quarter, the Spartans were on a drive which moved them 32 yards to the Haddam-Killingworth 31-yard line but ended quite abruptly when Cougars cornerback David Parmelee came down with an interception.

Todd said he was impressed with his teams effort throughout the game.

"I think our heart was their through all four quarters," Todd said. "We didn't give up."

The Cougars did not show much of a passing game, quarterback Grffin Bremer went 2-for-4 for 55 yards. One of those completions was a 48-yard touchdown to wide receiver Nicholas Baccaro.

With the powerhouse Cruz in the backfield, Thorn said the team needed to play great defense and the effort was there today.

"We were basically trying to move the ball down the field and play good defense," Thorn said. "We lacked on offense because we have banged up players but defensively we should have done better."

Going into next Friday where the Spartans (0-4) will host Hyde Leadership, Thorn said he is going to look back at today's game to see what he can do differently to get a better outcome.

"I am going to watch a lot of film," Thorn said, "get more in sync with my players, more chemistry."

The 6-foot, 230-pound Cruz needed multiple Spartan defenders to take him down in many of his rushing attempts.

Todd said the size difference played a factor in the game.

"They got some good horses over their," Todd said. "This kid (Cruz) is a phenomenal athlete, they got some size. So the size differential is definitely there. But we didn't give up."